Clippers owner, wife give another $250,000 to support universal background checks on gun sales

Former Microsoft CEO and new Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, have donated another $250,000 to a campaign seeking to expand background checks on gun sales in Washington state.

The donation brings the couple's total amount of support to Initiative 594 to $830,000. The latest gift was made last week, but it didn't post on the state's Public Disclosure Commission website until this week.

The donation is the most recent big money gift from prominent figures, including Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

I-594 would require background checks for all gun sales and transfers in Washington state, including at gun shows and for private sales. Under the measure, some exemptions would exist, including gifts within a family and antiques. Supporters have now raised more than $7.3 million.

A rival campaign, Initiative 591, would prevent the state from adopting background-check laws that go beyond the national standard, which requires the checks for sales by licensed dealers but not for purchases from private sellers. That campaign has raised just over $1 million.